Ghosts of Days Gone By
by Aerith Gan
Summary: Blood is thicker than water, and the ties that bind leave cruel scars. No matter who you are, who you become, or who you try to be, you can not shatter that truth. "Do you ever cry for the ghosts of days gone by?"
1. Prologue

This story is something my brother and I started writing one day after we went through something pretty bad. I'm technically his beta in this, as he took the lead on writing. Our styles are extremely different, which anyone can see once I get more chapters up. He wanted me to start posting this, so I'm posting it for him. This is based off of an idea we had one day while listening to the Alter Bridge song this fic was named for.

Sorry for such a long note so here goes: I don't own anything in this story. My brother, however, owns a few things in regards to this story, things that'll be revealed much later.

* * *

**A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…**

**STAR WARS: Ghost of Days Gone By**

This story is a complicated one, if one does not pay close attention to manners concerning timelines. It is said that the events of the past have a direct effect on the future. This story once again proves this statement to be true. It is a story about how the sins of the past can have a drastic effect on the future.

It's a story about adventure and disaster, love and loss, sins and regrets. It's about facing one's demons. More so, it's about coming to terms with a history that you didn't necessarily cause. And in this understanding, it's about redemption.

This story that you are about to read is about two men.

Although bound together by blood, they are counterparts. Despite minor similarities, they are two entirely different people.

This is a story about the Aqulin family…

* * *

Alright, a very short prologue, but I promise you, it gets so much better. I'm not going to beg for reviews, but I'd really like them (mainly to point out my brother's flaws). *gets smacked outside the head* ...ow...


	2. Training Day

Woohoo! Finally posting chapter one for you, bro! And to the readers: this chapter takes place in the Clone Wars.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars!

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Training day.

_Jedi Temple, Coruscant _

It was not unusual to see Jedi Masters, Knights and Padawans alike sparring in the training room. It was a useful method for the students to practice new techniques they learned in saber training classes with Master Drallig and for already seasoned masters to keep themselves warmed up and in shape. The two female Padawans in the main arena were polar opposites in terms of their own approaches to lightsaber combat.

The Torguta teen fought with a reverse Shien grip, a style deemed unorthodox by many Jedi. Her style was like a strange dance, complete with incredible, but not wild acrobatic movements. Not only was she a Shien user, but a practitioner in Ataru as well. Ahsoka Tano grinned as she brought a strong offence, forcing her opponent into defense.

Her partner, a hooded Mirialan, defended herself using the most basic style of Soresu. But to her advantage, her body twisted and bended away from anything she could not block. Barris Offee smiled politely back, all the while matching Ahsoka in strength. Within seconds, flashes of green and blue light illuminated the room, the sabers crashing together with great intensity and velocity. Neither Padawan was going to give the other an opportunity to deliver a would-be "killing blow". Ahsoka smirked as she threw her body into the air, flipping behind Barriss in an attempt to execute a "death from above" maneuver. The Mirialan Padawan, however, was prepared for this attack, bringing her lightsaber around to block Ahsoka's blade before it reached her neck.

The two Padawans exchanged smiles of respect before they deactivated their lightsabers. As they clipped the metal cylinders onto their belts, a loud clapping sound echoed around the room. It started slow and then increased speed, until it was all that Barriss and Ahsoka could hear. The Jedi students turned their attention towards the main entrance to face the source of the clapping. A human male in his late teens stood in the doorway. He had dark brown eyes and short brown hair that was styled like most male Padawans, complete with a braid on the side of his head. He was dressed in grey robes that were very much like the traditional Padawan uniform only his tabard was black. He wore black boots and a black belt, which stored a lightsaber of his own. He was smirking as he slowly stepped forward, walking with a cocky swagger as he approached the two Padawans. Barriss rolled her eyes slightly as the young man made his way into the training room.

"Great, here comes Kale." She muttered to her friend. Ahsoka turned to face Barriss with a questioning look masking her orange face.

"Kale Aqulin? You mean Master Secura's apprentice?" She asked as the name rang a bell. Barriss nodded slowly as she sighed heavily. "What's wrong with him?"

"Everything's wrong with Kale." Barriss sighed again, her eyes never leaving the sight of the young Padawan entering into the ring.

"Brava! Brava! Good form both of you!" The Padawan shouted approvingly, his deep voice echoing around the room. Barriss quickly hid any signs of discomfort and responded with a polite bow.

"Thanks Kale, it's nothing really." Ahsoka responded with an overconfident tone in her voice. Kale smirked as he stood directly in front of them.

"But, how's your footwork?" He said suddenly, raising one hand slowly to his belt and wrapping around the handle of his own lightsaber. A strange feeling suddenly came over both female Jedi, as if the new arrival was up to something. Whatever it was it couldn't have been good.

"Kale, what are yo-" Barriss started to ask. She didn't have time to finish her thought as a dark clad foot came rapidly towards her tattooed face. Barriss quickly dodged the spinning kick by leaning backwards. As her body coiled back up, she found herself flipping out of the way of another spinning kick. She landed in her own fighting stance, glancing towards Ahsoka, who too had to move away from the unexpected strike. The Togrutan Padawan glared daggers at the male Padawan, who grinned cockily as he bounced in his own fighting stance.

"Excellent!" He said as he glanced at the two angry apprentices.

"Kale, what the hell was that for?" Ahsoka yelled in anger.

"Hey Ahsoka, no need to get feisty. I just wanted to see if you learned to expect the unexpected." Kale said with a smug tone. "Besides, I could use a good warm up myself."

"So that's what your excuse is Kale? You should leave the teaching to someone more experienced and mature." Barriss scolded. Kale faked a look of hurt as he turned his attention towards her.

"Ah Barriss, that hurt real bad." He said with mock sorrow in his voice. He then smiled again. "If you both are really so annoyed with me, how about you teach me a lesson then? How about another sparring session, you two against me?" He challenged. Ahsoka nodded, a bit of excitement flowing through her head. Not only was this an opportunity to improve her saber skills, but it was also a chance to teach the young apprentice a lesson in humility.

"We accept." She said with a grin forming on her face. "C'mon Barriss, this may be entertaining for the both of us." She said as she turned to her annoyed friend. Barriss sighed lightly and then looked back up to face Kale, a smile forming on her own face.

"If that's what you really want Kale, then I too accept your challenge. Maybe this will teach you a lesson in manners."

Kale only grinned at her words. "OK, ladies, ready when you are."

The two female Padawans ignited their lightsabers and sunk into their respective stances. Kale glanced at Ahsoka's opening Shien stance and started to laugh.

"What?" Ahsoka asked dangerously. Kale only responded by igniting his own emerald blade, the blade going behind his back. Ahsoka's eyes widened at this slight revelation. It was very rare for a Jedi in the order to utilize the Shien reverse grip. For a while, she was convinced that no one else fought that way. Clearly, there was more to him then met the eye.

Within seconds, the three Jedi moved in for the duel.

* * *

This is Kale Aqulin.

An unusual Jedi who was more comfortable on the battlefield then he was at home in the Temple. A phenomenal fighter pilot who, in his own mind, could potentially rival Anakin Skywalker in terms of space combat. He is one of the best at what he does. And he knows that. His own Jedi master, Aayla Secura, has stated several times that he has the potential to be one of the greatest Jedi's in the history of the Order.

He would be, if he improved his attitude and behavior.

Kale was a prankster. He loved playing jokes on many of his fellow Padawans. These jokes were never harmful in the slightest, in fact he always meant well when he played them. The worst thing he could possibly do to someone was to replace his or her lightsaber with a similar looking metal pipe or he could use the force and start a miniature food fight in the temple cafeteria. He would never do something to cause anyone any serious harm. But this isn't the main aspect of Kale's personality that bothered the other students and the upper ranked members of the order.

It was his ego.

It was all in the way he walked and talked. With that slight swagger and a cocky grin on his face. He was seemingly impervious to feelings of unworthiness. He was always quick to boast about his various achievements to the other students, much to their dismay and annoyance. He came off as arrogant, rude, conceited and other terms that were deemed inappropriate for any life form that wasn't a smuggler or pirate to mutter about another being. Despite these negative characteristics, there was one thing that all Jedi agreed on about Kale Aqulin.

He is a valuable ally to have during a fight.

* * *

Kale brought his saber upward to block a leaping hack from Ahsoka. As they broke away from a brief saber lock, Kale wheeled himself around to counter a Barriss Offee sideswipe. As his emerald blade deflected a flurry of blue-streak cuts, Kale used the Force to shove the leaping Ahsoka away from him. Ahsoka landed gracefully with some help from the Force and went in for another attack. After forcing Barriss back away from him, Kale launched himself into a butterfly twist, a move that forced Ahsoka to back away from him. When he landed, Kale brought his blade horizontally a crossed his chest, creating a brilliant green arc. Ahsoka and Kale exchanged blows, green sparks flying out of their sabers. After a minute of clashing, Ahsoka used the force to propel herself over her target. Kale turned to follow her movements, only to find Barris's blade slashing towards his chest. Kale blocked the blade casually with a flick of his own blade. He flipped backwards to increase the distance between himself and the two Padawans. He smiled lightly as he watched Ahsoka and Barriss shift their bodies into their own respective stances.

"Come on! I haven't broken a sweat yet!" Kale said with a chuckle as he motioned for the two apprentices to continue.

Ahsoka and Barriss exchanged looks of weariness before turning back to Kale. They had been tired out by their previous sessions of sparring and this additional session only increased their fatigue. His skill wasn't an over exaggeration. Kale Aqulin was truly a formidable warrior. He had defended himself from their attacks without any effort and attacked with superior strength and technique. Before they could plan another attack, Kale's saber deactivated and returned to its rightful place on his belt. Ahsoka and Barriss exchanged confused looks.

"There we go," Kale said as he cracked his neck to the side. "That was an excellent work out! You know, you two aren't half bad." He said as he walked over the two confused Padawans, patting them gently on the shoulder.

"Wait, what was all that for?" Ahsoka probed as she and Barriss deactivated their own lightsabers. Kale turned to her with that signature grin on his face.

"I wanted to see if both of you had the skill that the Clones were boasting you had," Kale said honestly as he placed both hands behind his head. "They were somewhat right."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ahsoka asked, slightly offended by his comment.

"You're both excellent fighters, hell that was fun if you asked me. You're just not as good as me." He said smiling. "Here's a hint for you, explore the faults of your own style. Once you identify those, improve on them, make them stronger. Keep at it!" He said as he headed towards the door. As he walked away, the two female Jedi turned to face each other.

"He's an odd one." Barriss said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"You think?" Ahsoka commented. "Well, he was right about one thing. That was a somewhat fun session." She admitted with a slight smile.

"Indeed, I did learn one thing about this fight."

"What would that be?"

"Expect the unexpected."

* * *

AN: Alright, Kale isn't very nice is he? Kale is, of course, my brother's creation. This story is almost all him: I edited and wrote a few parts. So please review for my bro's sake.


	3. Welcome Home

After a long wait, and some pestering, I now present Chapter 2 of Ghosts of Days Gone By. This chapter takes place in the future (Post-Return of the Jedi) which is always fun.

Consider this disclaimed.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Welcome Home.

_The New Jedi Temple, Yavin 4_

"Anakin! How do the blasters look?" a girl's voice rang out from under a X-Wing. Two boys stood by the ship, with the younger of the two repairing a slightly damaged blaster.

"Better," the boy admitted, wiping the grease off his face with his arm. "But not by much."

"You have to be kidding me," Jaina Solo growled as she slid out from under the X-Wing. The brunette Jedi-in-training shot glares at both of the boys as she started to repair the guns. Anakin Solo stood to the side, silently observing his sister's work.

"I did say I was sorry," the other boy, Jacen, muttered, receiving a 'here-we-go-again-look' from Anakin.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Jaina replied, "You wrecked my ship!"

"Why are you so protective of that thing?" Jacen shot back, "You're like Dad sometimes."

"You wouldn't understand, Youngling."

"We're only a few minutes apart, Jaina," Jacen disputed.

"That doesn't mean anything Jacen! What possessed you to take _MY_ X-Wing for a little cruise flight? Why couldn't you have gone off and wrecked your own?"

"Calm down Jaina I just wanted to make sure everything was working." Jacen replied with a bit of an annoyed tone.

"Bullshit! You were trying to impress Tenel Ka again weren't you?" Jaina spat, getting closer to her brother's face.

Anakin shrugged at his older siblings, before noticing another boy attempting to fix another X-Wing. Or he was, until the shouting started. Anakin felt his face flush with embarrassment, as his family had become the center of negative attention.

"Guys, shut up," Anakin hissed, before walking over to the boy. The twins stopped their bickering and turned to face the young boy who had witnessed their little quarrel. The boy was in his teens, and wore an oddly solemn expression on his face. He was dressed in black pants and boots with a dark grey shirt underneath a brown rancor skin jacket. His short brown hair, wide brown eyes, and overall looks reminded the youngest Solo of something he had read once. Someone from the Clone Wars. Anakin dismissed his thoughts as coincidences as he spoke, "Hello, are we bothering you?"

The boy didn't speak, just shrugged his shoulders. The three Solos exchanged confused looks at the boy's non-reply. Anakin sighed and tried again for a reaction, "I'm Anakin Solo, and those two idiots-"

"Hey!" Jaina and Jacen chorused indignantly.

"Are my siblings, Jaina and Jacen." The boy nodded once in understanding, annoying Jacen.

"Do you have a name kid?" Jacen asked, the irritation showing in his voice.

"Mako! You can fix it later." A voice called out from the hanger entrance. All four teenagers turned to see a tall, brown-haired Jedi Knight with a slender face masked by a dark brown beard and dark, piercing eyes. He was adorned in robes that were reminiscent to those of the pre-Empire Jedi Knights. The Solo children watched as the young boy, Mako, get up from his sitting position and ran over to the Jedi.

"Well, you two sure made a negative impression." Anakin sneered, shaking his head in annoyance as he walked back over to Jaina's fighter.

"It was her fault!" Jacen defended, pointing an accusing finger towards his twin sister.

"If you wish to keep that finger I suggest you lower it." Jaina warned in a low tone. Jacen complied. As they continued to work on fixing the starfighter's lower right wing laser, their conversations revolved around one subject: the odd boy that had witnessed the brief argument.

"I've never seen him around before," Jacen said as he handed Anakin a hydrospanner. "He's probably a new student. I mean a lot of them have been arriving at the temple more frequently."

"Or," Jaina said as she worked on the wires that connected the laser to the ship's computer. "We've just never noticed him before. I mean c'mon, it would be easy to miss him with the way he was acting."

"Yeah tell me about it. Well, he could at least answer a simple question like "what's your name" instead of being a prick and ignoring us." Jacen said. Anakin smirked at that statement.

"That says a lot coming from you." He said, quickly moving out of the way to avoid a power wrench to the face. Then, a loud buzz was heard from the intercom positioned above the hanger. The gruff voice of Kyle Katarn emerged from the speakers.

"Attention all Academy students. Report to the Grand Audience Chamber immediately."

As the buzz faded, Jaina finished placing a new cover panel on the turret and turned to face her brothers. "You heard Kyle, let's get going. Maybe it's an assignment for once."

Anakin's face lit up in excitement. "I hope so! It's getting really dull around here!"

* * *

This is Luke Skywalker as he watches the students entering the chamber.

If one were to search databases for a list of greatest Jedi Knights of all time, they would find him on the top. He isn't just one of many, he was the definition of Jedi. He is the ultimate Jedi. One would have to be ignorant to protest to that statement. He is a legend that every intelligent being in the galaxy has heard of. He is the hero that children on any planet worship and inspire to be like one day. He is an ace X-Wing pilot, a phenomenal general, and one of the most powerful Force users of his time. He is the best of the best, like his father Anakin was before him.

Yet, he feels incredibly uneasy.

Despite the fact that the rate of student enrollment at the Jedi Academy was growing larger and larger, Luke senses something strange in the Force. It was something that his brother-in-law would have a "bad feeling" about. Although he doesn't know what it could possibly be about. Watching the students entering happily, as if this was the best thing in the galaxy to them, made him wonder if it was all in his head.

He would have to meditate on this.

* * *

"I understand that we have several new students here in this chamber," Luke started. In an instance, the loud ramblings from the students quieted down to pure silence. Skywalker had that big of an effect on people. "To those of you who are just joining us today, I would like to welcome each and every one of you to your new home: the Jedi Academy."

Jacen let out a loud yawn as his uncle went on about learning about the force, lightsaber combat, diplomacy and history. He gave this same speech to every new force sensitive individual who entered the temple. Overwhelmed with boredom, he turned to his younger brother.

"This the excitement you were looking for Anakin?" He whispered as Luke had begun the task of assigning each student to a master. Anakin rolled his eyes as he turned to face Jacen.

"Not really…" Anakin turned towards Jaina. It was easy to tell that she too was bored with the traditional Padawan assignment process. She turned back to her brothers and joined in with the whispers.

"Let's get out of here, if we're lucky he won't even notice that we're gone." She said. Jacen and Anakin nodded in agreement. Just as they were about to leave the room, Luke announced the name of the last student.

"Mako Aqulin, I have selected Master Korr to be your new master. He was a good friend of Master Penin and has requested to take you under his wing."

Instantly, the Solo children turned back around to see the boy from the hanger looking up at the bearded Jedi who had arrived to collect him. He still wore that grim look on his face. Jaden Korr, however, smiled at his new apprentice and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"New master? What happened to his previous one?" Jacen asked as he watched each student slowly leave the chamber.

"He was killed by space pirates during an investigation on Sullust." A deep and brusque voice answered his question from behind. Jacen whirled around to reveal Kyle Katarn, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "If I were you, I wouldn't ask him about it."

Jacen flashed his father's famous lopsided grin. "No problem Master Katarn. Besides it's not like he'll answer me anyway." He joked. Jaina smirked slightly at her brother's comment before turning to see Jaden and Mako heading towards the door. Mako turned to face her, making eye contact with her. She felt a wave of sadness flow through her. Something was up about this particular boy; she didn't know what it was. It felt as if he had a lot of weight on his shoulders. She quickly analyzed the information she had just gain about him. He did indeed just lose his first master, which surely must have done a number on him. Then, the boy let out a small, timid smile. Jaina couldn't help but to give a polite smile back as master and apprentice left the room.

* * *

AN: Sorry if everyone is a little OOC. My brother (who I'll refer to as Hyiea on here) knows more about the extended universe than I do, so he's the one writing this. Anyway, please review!


	4. Lessons Learned

**This story still has no reviews D= Is there something wrong with it? *starts crying* But Hyeia did his best...it was good! Maybe we should never post again! *Hyeia hands me a box of tissues* Well, maybe another chapter or two.**

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Lessons Learned

_Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

Kale raced through the hallways, panting loudly, and earning strange looks from other Padawans. He ran past the meditation chamber, before realizing that he had to go in there.

"I'm here!" he shouted to his Master, who looked more than angry with him. His Twi'lek mentor was beautiful, like most members of her race, but was deadly when angry. Kale gulped as he stared up at her, wondering what he had done to deserve her wrath.

"What did I do this time Master?" Kale said as his infamous smirk materialized on his face. Aayla Secura's beautiful blue face nearly turned fiery red as that stupid grin formed on her Padawan's face.

"I was informed that you "assaulted" Padawans Tano and Offee today in the training arena." Aayla said with a bit of anger in her voice. Kale felt his face turn pale briefly as he recalled the "training session" he had earlier with Ahsoka and Barriss.

"Master, it was just a sparring session. Seriously no one was hurt." He explained. Aayla's angry eyes silenced his tongue.

"You initiated a dangerous duel without the permission of either Padawan."

"No, they actually agreed to duel me!" Kale argued back.

"AFTER you threw kicks at them," Aayla yelled, silencing her apprentice once again. "Kale seriously! What were you thinking? A Jedi doesn't seek violence. And yet, you broke that very rule as soon as your foot left the ground." She finished her rant, turning away from her apprentice, unable to look at him. Kale let out a loud sigh as a wave of shame entered his mind. She was right as always. Kale hated to imagine what would have happened if he had made a wrong move during that duel. Doing so might have cost Ahsoka and Barriss their lives.

"I'm sorry Master." He said as she turned around to face him, her face contorting from anger into a more teacher-like look.

* * *

This is how it feels to be Aayla Secura at this very moment.

You often wonder what possessed you to choose Kale Aqulin as your Padawan. If you had known from the start that he would have given you this much trouble, you would have picked another student. Kale was arrogant, full of himself, had literally no respect for those who outranked him and had a tendency to irritate you to no end. No, the second to last aspect wasn't all entirely true. Kale had always shown respect to a select few Jedi Knights. These included Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. This was mainly due to the fact that despite his cockiness, he knew whom he couldn't mess with. Other than that, he was a major pain in your side. He disrespected your orders a countless number of times and always found away to get both of you in trouble with either the enemy or the Jedi Council.

But in truth, he wasn't all that bad.

While he had millions of faults, Kale had several redeeming qualities. He was the perfect person to have by your side in a fight, a fact that he has proven time and time again during the course of this war. His skill with a lightsaber was astounding for his age, so much so that he actually inspired you to start practicing more often than usual. While his pranks did get quite annoying after a while, some of them were pretty funny. One particular prank that came to mind was the time when he dipped Master Fisto's tendrils into a can of red paint, causing him to splatter everyone around him every time he turned his head. It was good that he could at least have a sense of humor. Although part of you hated his attitude at times, it served as a reminder that he is still a Padawan after all, and that a change of personality would develop as he approached the Jedi Trials. You know deep in your heart that your difficult apprentice has a good heart and always means well when he does the things he does. In fact, he reminds you of a younger male version of yourself. His mischievous nature and impulsivity certainly match your younger self. Though, a part of you wishes he would listen to you when discussing important matters concerning his humility problem.

You now know how it must felt to be Obi-Wan Kenobi when he first started to train Anakin Skywalker.

* * *

"Kale," Aayla started in a calm tone, placing her hand on her Padawan's shoulder. "I know you mean well and I'm sure it wasn't your intention to cause harm to Offee and Tano, but you really have to be more careful." She sighed as she began to lecture him, hoping he'll get it through his head. "I really worry for you sometimes Kale."

Kale looked up to give her a curious look.

"What do you mean Master?"

Aayla sighed again before continuing. "You're incredibly rash. You never think before you act and if you're not careful that could lead you down a path that I'm sure you don't want to follow. Also, you should make an attempt to at least develop a sense of respect for those who out rank you. We are your teachers Kale; we're only trying to help you in your Jedi training. Do not treat us like we are inferior to you Padawan." Aayla knew that last sentence was a bit harsh, but she knew it was the only way to get him to understand. Kale sighed and turned away from her.

"I'm sorry Master." Kale said softly as he kept his head lowered. Aayla smiled slightly and started to walk towards the window, her hand still on his shoulder. She led him to the window to witness the busy city of Coruscant, watching the hovercrafts whizz by them.

"Kale, I'm not trying to scold you. I'm only trying to help you because I care. I want to see you pass the trials and become a Jedi Knight. But in order to do that, you need to take the time to mature. Let the Force guide you on this path and be mindful of your actions." She said as she placed her other hand on his other shoulder. "You are a good student Kale, I just want you to be a better student."

Kale turned to face her and slowly, his signature grin formed on his face. "Understood Master." He said with a bit of determination in his voice. He started to walk towards the doorway. Before he left, Aayla called his name again. He turned back around to face her.

"Please try to keep yourself out of trouble Kale." She begged politely.

Kale smirked and nodded before heading out the door.

* * *

As Kale walked towards his quarters, the sight of three younglings racing towards the hanger caught his attention. His interest sparked, Kale turned to follow them into the hanger bay. There, he witnessed the three younglings watching in awe as a red Jedi Starfighter landed on the platform and open its canopy. A male Mon Calamarian dressed in white robes that were reminiscent to those of his culture stepped out of the starship. A wide grin formed cheek to cheek on Kale's face as he ran towards him.

"Nebb old buddy!" Kale shouted happily as he wrapped the Mon Calamarian in a tight hug. Nahdar Vebb happily returned the embrace as the young humanoid continued to speak. "I haven't seen your butt since our youngling days! How have you been?" Kale finished as he let go of his old friend and listened patiently for a response.

Nahdar shrugged when Kale referred to him as Nebb. It had been Kale's nickname for him ever since they were younglings, when he had problems pronouncing Nahdar's name. Kale solved this problem by fusing his first name with his last name, thus creating "Nebb". Although Nahdar hated the nickname at first, he later grew to appreciate it as he and Kale grew closer as friends.

"Actually, that's Master Nebb to you Kale," Nahdar said. Kale seemed to be a bit surprised by this realization. He must have been caught up in the War for so long that he had missed Nahdar's promotion to Jedi Knight. Nahdar smiled and answered Kale's first question. "I've been working on the front lines as a healer for the most part. I just got back from a conflict on Bespin."

Kale smirked a bit, holding back feelings of envy over the fact that his childhood friend had become a Jedi Knight. He knew it wasn't the Jedi way to be jealous. Instead, he clapped a hand on the Mon Calamarian's back as he walked with him through the hallways. "Whatever the case buddy, it's good to have you back."

Kale thought back to what Aayla Secura had told him in the meditation chamber. _"Please try to keep yourself out of trouble."_ As her words echoed in his brain, a cheeky smile formed on his face.

He decided that with Nebb back at the temple, keeping out of trouble wasn't an option.

* * *

**AN: Hehehehe, Nebb. That nickname came around because Hyeia kept slurring the name Nahdar Vebb. And I loved how it sounded, so Nahdar is now and forever known as Nebb.**

**Please review. Mako chapter coming up next.**


	5. A Humbling Experience

CHAPTER 4: A Humbling Experience.

_Jedi Academy: Yavin 4_

Jacen grinned as he took a gigantic bite out of his nerf steak sandwich. As he devoured the sandwich, crumbs began to fly out across the table, creating a small mess around his general sitting area. A look of disgust materialized on Anakin's face.

"That's just gross," He commented as he watched his brother make a mess out of himself. Jacen looked up from his trey and gave his little brother a slightly confused expression.

"Wha?" Jacen asked with a mouthful of nerf in his mouth, distorting his words. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't mom teach you manners Jacen?" Jaina smirked as she playfully smacked her brother in the arm, causing Jacen to swallow what remaining nerf was in his mouth. Jacen looked at her with an amused expression.

"Yeah she did, but she isn't around is she? So I can eat however the hell I want to eat." He said as grabbed another sandwich from his trey. The Jedi Academy's cafeteria wasn't particular busy today, as most of the students were out in training sessions with their respective masters. The Solos themselves had just gotten back from an obstacle course designed to test their agility and stamina. They were given a couple hours to rest up before heading into the lightsaber training dojo, where they would partake in Master Katarn's saber training class. Anakin rolled his eyes at his older brother's antics and scanned around the room. There were a couple other students in the room, though none of them Anakin knew by name. As he searched around out of curiosity, something at the other end of the table caught his eye. Sitting by himself, carefully eating his own food was Jaden Korr's latest apprentice Mako. The boy's facial expressions were similar to what they had been when Anakin and his siblings first encountered him in the hanger. He looked utterly depressing with one arm supporting his head on the table as he slowly ate. There was still something very familiar about the boy. Anakin thought back to his first clue as to where he recognized him. The Clone Wars. Anakin eliminated the impossibilities about this theory, considering that the boy wasn't even alive when the Clone Wars raged across the galaxy. Maybe he had a relative that was involved in the war in some way, like his own grandparents were. Before Anakin could ponder more into the subject, his loud mouth brother broke into his thoughts.

"Hey its Mako!" Jacen stated, causing the young boy to briefly glance over at the three siblings at the sound of his name. Mako stared at them for a brief second before turning back to concentrate on finishing his lunch. Jacen turned to his little brother and smirked before getting up to head over to the young apprentice. Anakin and Jaina followed in pursuit, unsure of what the hungry Jedi's intentions were. Jacen stood right next to Mako and placed his hand on the table.

"Hey buddy, could you keep it down a bit?" Jacen asked in a joking manner. "Some of us are trying to have an intelligent conversation over here and we can't hear anything over your big mouth."

"Jacen leave him alone." Jaina scolded him, not wanting to cause any problems. Mako only raised his eyebrows at Jacen and turned back to focus on his food. Taking the hint, Jacen tried for another joke.

"What's the matter Mako? Gundark got your tongue?" Jacen said, laughing hysterically at his own joke. Jaina and Anakin did not find this funny and apparently neither did Mako. Mako again continued to ignore him. Jacen, finding a lost cause, decided to turn his attention elsewhere. As he looked around he spotted a beautiful young red headed girl dressed in a leather shirt and pants sitting down to eat her own lunch. Grinning from ear to ear, Jacen headed off towards the girl. When he reached her, he sat down directly in front of her, flashing his father's signature grin.

"Hey Tenel Ka," he started, acting as much like his father as he could manage. "You must be a magnet, because I'm attracted to you."

Tenel Ka gave him a small smile as she started to grab her trey. "If you're gonna try to win my heart Jacen, you need to come up with better material." She commented as she walked away. Jacen stood there dumbfounded as he heard snickering coming from his siblings. Then, another figure appeared among the two. To Jacen's surprise, Mako was standing directly behind them with a huge smile on his face. Then, the young apprentice spoke.

"What's the matter Jacen? Gundark got your tongue?" a young, slightly timid voice emerged from Mako. Jaina and Anakin whirled around in surprise after finally hearing Mako talk. All of a sudden, Jacen's corny joke became hysterical. As the two siblings bawled over in laughter, slowly Jacen's shocked expression went blank. Then, suddenly, the corner of his lips twitched. Pretty soon the three Solo children were leaning against each other in hysterics.

"You can talk?!" Jacen said in between laughs.

"Yeah, I guess I can." Mako said softly.

"How come you didn't answer us before when we were the hanger that one time?" Jacen asked. Mako simply shrugged.

"I didn't want to intrude on your argument. Besides I really don't know that many people here, so my social skills are a bit rusty." He said honestly.

"Well you know, if you have a social skill problem, you can always hang out with us." Anakin offered, staring up at the tall shy boy. "We don't bite. Well I don't. I'm not too sure about those two." He chuckled as he avoided a mock swing from his older brother.

"Nah, I don't want to be a bother." Mako said so softly that it was almost a whisper.

"You won't be," Jaina said with a warm tone that seemed to summon a bit of her own mother. "You look like you could use some friends around here. What do you say?" She said giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Mako felt his face turn a light shade of pink as Jaina's soft hand touched his shoulder. What else could he have possibly done with the beautiful daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa standing right next to him and offering to be his friend? A very small smile appeared on his face.

"S-sure why not?" He said slightly stuttering the first word. The three siblings all exchanged friendly looks as they welcomed the young Padawan into their group.

* * *

As a crowd of young students flooded around the hoisted combat ring, Kyle Katarn stood in the center of the mass of students, relaxed as he gave his lesson.

"A deactivated saber is far more powerful than an ignited one," he said, with a watchful eye scanning his students for a reaction.

A boy in his late teens scoffed at the comment, "Psh, yeah right."

The boy's voice was squeaky and irritating, but his response earned a smirk from Kyle.

"Damian," Kyle said coldly, "Come over here."

"Psh," Damian repeated, strutting up to the instructor. His movements received blazing glares from the Solo children.

"How good are you in a fight, Damian?" Kyle inquired calmly, letting his smirk increase.

"I'm better than these younglings," Damian snorted. Kyle acted as the understanding teacher would, allowing his smirk to be replaced with a relaxed smile.

"Hmm, Mako, would you join us up here?" The boy in question's eyes widened, and a look of nervousness covered his features.

"M-me?" he stuttered.

"Who else?" Kyle replied. Mako gulped and made his way to the center of the ring. The Solos smiled approvingly at Mako, who turned to Kyle. The smirk had returned, and Kyle nodded at Mako.

"You gonna go cry to mommy?" Damian scoffed. Mako gritted his teeth, tensing at the comment. Jaina's eyes widened at Damian's comment, and she fought the overwhelming urge to go rip his head off.

"_What the-okay Jaina, get a grip," _she thought in an effort to calm herself, _"He's a friend who I want to protect…or maybe…"_

Jaina forced herself to stop there, and turned her attention back to Mako. Damian and Mako stood across from each other, Damian laughing at his own comment, and Mako shaking with suppressed anger. Finally, Mako spoke.

"Are we going to do this or not?" Mako growled, earning a surprised reaction from his newfound friends. They weren't anticipating that the shy quite boy would react to a comment like with such bitterness.

Damian smirked as he ignited his saber, a brilliant orange glow emanated from the blade as he whipped around into a Shi-Cho fighting stance. Mako, glaring daggers at the loudmouth apprentice, tucked his blade behind his right arm. Suddenly, a cerulean beam ignited. Several surprised shouts emitted from the students, shocked to see someone hold a lightsaber in that particular manner. Anakin's eyes widen as he took note of the way Mako held his saber. It was the reverse Shien style. Anakin thought back to recall particular Jedi he read about who were masters of that style: Ahsoka Tano, Galen Marek, as well as a Sith Assassin named Darth Ultio. This increased his confusion, for the style was very unorthodox and increasingly rare.

"_Perhaps, someone taught him it," _Anakin thought, before dismissing the thought, _"Wait that can't be true, from what I understand of Master Korr, he isn't a practitioner of Reverse Shien."_

Jacen turned to his brother and whispered almost silently, "How can you use that style without killing yourself?"

"Skill," Anakin replied, facing his brother. Jaina, however, remained silent, as she could not turn away from ring.

Kyle Katarn studied both fighters, finding their strengths and weaknesses. He noted how Damian's legs were too close together in his stance, weakening his balance. He knew that Mako would use that weakness to his advantage, as the boy's master taught him. Kyle smiled as he picked out Mako's weakness: the boy's anger at his family being mentioned. A weakness, which he knew, would vanish somewhere in the middle of the fight.

Damian seemed a bit surprised by his foe's unorthodox stance. He shrugged off that feeling by moving in to deliver an overhand chop. Mako brought his blade sideways so that it was positioned horizontally over his head to deflect the chop. Mako took advantage of the fact that Damian's body was unprotected by thrust kicking into his chest. The impact of the kick caused Damian to stumble backwards briefly. Quickly regaining himself, Damian rushed to deliver a sideswipe towards Mako's ribcage. Mako saw this coming and rushed in himself to deliver his side attack. The colored beams of plasma bounced off each other as the wielders continued to deliver fierce and powerful attacks. Mako suddenly broke the continuous saber locks by bringing his blade down over his head, the weight of the blade causing Damian to hunch over. While his face was down, Mako suddenly launched himself up wards, moon kicking Damian's face, sending the loudmouth Padawan airborne. Mako landed gracefully, earning an impressed approval from the crowd. Damian on the underhand landed on the ground with a thud. Shaking off his daze from the attack, Damian stood up and charged forward. Mako saw this move and moved into a butterfly twist. Damian halted his advancement and found himself moving backwards to avoid another hit. As Mako landed, Damian moved in for his own kicking attacks, only to fail miserably as Mako moved to sweep his saber under Damian's legs, causing him to jump to avoid being amputated. This was just what Mako wanted as the shy boy jumped and shot his right foot into the air, making impact with Damian's chest. As the boy landed again, he snarled in rage and charged at Mako, swinging his blade wildly. Mako only grinned softly as he leaped overhead, landing behind Damian and sweeping the boy's legs out from under him. Damian hit the floor for a final time before Kyle ended the match.

"What did we learn from this lesson?" Kyle said as both boys deactivated their sabers and walked back into the crowd. "The moral is this: if a Jedi is extremely trained with a saber, he will know not to use it." He finished as his students nodded, taking mental notes. "I think that's it for the day. Class dismissed."

* * *

"Dude," Jacen said as he patted Mako's back as they walked through the temple hallways. "That was awesome!"

"It was nothing." Mako said modestly, scratching behind his head. "Seriously, I just got lucky."

"Bull." Jaina commented as she pulled him into a one armed hug, causing Mako's face to turn a deeper shade of pink. "You wiped the floor with Damian. Thank the Force too! Someone had to do it." She finished.

"Mako," Anakin asked suddenly. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Mako shrugged simply. "I don't know really. It's just a style that felt natural to me."

"Whatever works for you man." Jacen said happily as he continued praise Mako's accomplishment. "You gotta show me that flip kick thing sometime."

Mako smiled. "Sure whatever you say Jacen."

"Cheater!" A loud angry taunt echoed from behind them. The four Jedi turned to see an angry Damian, fists clinched tight as he headed towards them.

"What are you talking about Damian? It was a fair fight." Mako responded calmly, abet confused. Damian snarled as he continued to approach them.

"There was NO way you could possibly beat me! I'm the best duelist here that isn't a Knight or Master!"

Jaina rolled her eyes and smirked at the angry young man.

"Go cry somewhere else Damian, you've already embarrassed yourself enough today." She taunted, earning an angry glance from Damian.

"I wasn't talking to you! You spoiled brat! I don't care who your uncle is!"

"Watch yourself Damian," Jacen said through gritted teeth. "It'd be a shame to have to fight four Jedi." He warned, his hand reaching for his saber. Damian spat at the ground.

"I'll take you all on!" He yelled drawing his saber. Before he could even ignite it, his body was sent flying into a nearby wall, landing with a thud against the rock and sliding down slowly, the saber clanging to the ground. The angry apprentice was now knocked unconscious. The twins and Mako turned to see Anakin slowly lowering his hand. The youngest turned to his companions and gave a small smirk.

"What? He started it." He said with a shrug. Jacen walked over to Damian to exam any damages. Thankfully he found none.

"Just leave him here," Jaina said as she continued to walk. "We'll let someone else deal with him."

"Are you sure about that?" Mako asked. "I mean won't we get in trouble?"

"It was an act of self defense," Jaina responded. "Besides, Uncle Luke will understand." She finished as she continued to walk away.

Mako smiled slightly as he followed her. For someone who just a few weeks ago was a total stranger, he was beginning to feel happy at the fact that he had friends for the first time. But, still he knew that this newfound happiness wasn't enough to heal the hole inside his heart. To banish the dark cloud that fogged his mind.

* * *

**AN: And Zing! Oh Mako, you little nerd you. Anyways, read and review!**


End file.
